


Chaos

by arielgryffinpuff



Series: Cosmos and Chaos [2]
Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bitterness, Character Study, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Hurt Tony, Nicknames, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Swearing, hints of Steve/Tony
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-28
Updated: 2018-04-28
Packaged: 2019-04-29 03:25:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14463960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arielgryffinpuff/pseuds/arielgryffinpuff
Summary: On the ride home.Contains spoilers for infinity war.It took longer than I expected, so this is basically a character and relationship study on Nebula and Tony and a study of some themes of the film in general, with only hints of Steve/Tony.





	Chaos

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback always welcome. :)

Someway through the flight, he could feel himself drifting off.

The pain in his abdomen had subsided, after Nebula gave him some medicine aboard the ship.

He helped her navigate the way to earth, though unsurprisingly, she knew more about travelling through the galaxy than he did.

He coughed up some blood. It was getting better, but he still felt like crap, even with weird guardian healing technology that seemed to be making him feel jelly-like.

“So,” Tony said, needing to say something, anything. Cause he’s just spent the longest time he has in a long time _not_ talking. Even if it is with a less-than-trustworthy blue cybernetic space-gal.

“What,” she said shortly, looking straight ahead into the galaxy as she directed them.

“You seem to have it in for Thanos pretty bad,” Tony noted, “Especially since you’re crazy enough to try to go after him on your own, when he just wiped out half the entire universe.”

“All the more reason,” she cocked her head, and looked thoughtful, “No one hates him more than I do. I will not stop, I will never stop.”

“So…why’re you stopping to help me, again?”

She looked at him scornfully.

“Because you’ll supply me with weapons,” she said, turning back towards flying the plane. Tony kept a hand on his stomach to stop himself from being sick. Every so often, he kept checking the containers. That they were safe.

“And…I think I might find some people I know. If they went to earth, anyway. It’d be nice to see a familiar face.”  
“Ah. You know, I didn’t have you pegged down as the sentimental type,” Tony said, and then coughed.

“Shut up.”

“Don’t worry, Avatar. There’s a fifty percent chance you’ll see someone you know,” Tony said, his tone turning bitter, and looking away.

She laughed, humourlessly, “Well, I guess there’s that.”

She looked over at him.

“The people on earth, your heroes. You think they have something that can kill Thanos? They do, don’t they?” She narrowed her eyes.

“Maybe. How would I know? I haven’t _been_ there.”

Nebula sighed.

“I can’t believe you almost had him,” Nebula shook her head ruefully, “There’s been too many fucking _almosts_ ,” she fumed, smashing her hand on the control panel. She didn’t know if she could cry. But she felt a strange sensation.

“Tell me about it,” Tony replied, huffing, “Dr No-Feelings gave up the time stone – for me. Yea, it might be part of his bigger plan, but seriously? He can’t have, I dunno – told me first, before Peter-”

He stopped, barely able to carry the name.

“And Quill, well he fucked the plan up in the first place, apparently Thanos even gave up someone – I mean how is that even – oh, sorry.”

“No. She’s dead. She sacrificed herself for me. You’re right. Sentiment is bad. It’s just avoiding the hard way to do it. You have to sacrifice _sentiment_ in order to win.”

“So, what are we meant to do, stop making sacrifices? Let all the people we love suffer and die so we can beat one guy? What’s the point?”

She didn’t reply. After a while, she thought about what he’d said, and frowned.

“Dr – no-feelings?” She clarified.

“Dr Strange, the wizard, yea.”

“What _bigger plan_?” Nebula asked, wide-eyed.

“You’re asking _me_? Do I look like I have any answers right now?”

She sighed, clenching her jaw as she switched the controls, and navigated the ship around some heavy boulders.

Tony felt tired, his chest heavy, as he felt a neat end to the conversation.

\--

He didn’t know he’d fell asleep as he was jolted from a nightmare by a sleek blue hand.

“Stopping for fuel,” she said, turning around and leaving the ship. Tony blinked awake, looking around, and groaning at the pain in his side. He carefully got up, and looked for the medical supplies, using whatever power was left of his suit to try and heal it up.

All he could think about now was home, for some reason. Going back to his friends. Or what was left of them. But what if Steve wasn’t there? How could he…no. Nebula was right, at least partially. It didn’t matter about that now. Either Steve was alive, or he was dead, or dust. Either way, he’d figure something out.

After a short time, Nebula came back.

“You drool in your sleep.”

He puckered his lips, but held back a reply. Nebula handed him some water, and prepared to leave again. It was so weird out here. People – or aliens of different species – walking around, mourning, confused, or using the chaos to pillage.

Tony closed his eyes heavily, welcoming the beeps signifying the engine was starting, but _dreading_ it at the same time.

\--

As she approached Earth, Nebula sighed and looked on the tracking system.

“Well, according to this, there are only two places with the kind of energy and power radiation we’re looking for – either this ‘New York’? Or Wakanda.” She looked over expectantly, but the human was asleep. Or dead.

“Stark,” she said, leaning over to shake him. He didn’t stir, but made a soft noise. Probably passed out. She sighed irritatedly.

Tony woke to a metal gun smacking him in the head.

“Ow- ohw, geez, what was that for?”

“You were asleep, and I need to know where to drop you off and where to get weapons. And possibly where the other guardians are, but that’s really not a priority to me.”  
Tony scowled.

“So? New York or Wakanda ring any bells for you?” She drawled.

He frowned and looked at the metre readings.

“Wakanda.”

\--

He was asleep again by the time they got there. She guessed he was probably dying. Oh well. If the wizard thought he was important, then he probably was. And that meant she could probably use him as a bargaining chip if she couldn’t get her weapons.

Powering through what could only be described as an extremely tree-populated desert, Nebula slowed down the ship as it went through a tainted, broken force field, and into a city that wasn’t so different from what she’d seen on some planets. She couldn’t help but smile grimly at all the dead creatures on the ground, Thanos’ children, his army. Then her smile slipped from her face, as she saw those kneel down on the blood and ash ground, having won the battle, but lost the war.

She went over the buildings and found a landing spot in a spacious field, with not many people about – though, everything was wrecked.

As she landed, she got up and tried to slap Stark awake again. No such luck. Humans.

So, she did the only thing she could, and dragged him out of his chair and the ship by his collar, as he protested weakly in his sleep, with her gun at the ready.

The door of the ship opened, and she stepped out into green, green everywhere, with a tree falling down in the distance. Stark’s body clunked along the metal and onto the grass.

God, she hated the fucking colour green.


End file.
